Political correctness is the avoidance of forms of expression or action that are perceived to exclude, marginalize, or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against.
It is a good idea, meant to protect dignity and rights of people; unfortunately, like any other good idea, outcome depends on who is carrying it out.
Why we need it at all?
Contemporary world gives us opportunity to be whoever we want; at least declaratively.
Since that change happened very fast (just in previous generations of our parents and grandparents social norms were quite different) people still did.t manage to get used to such a diversity that we have today. We still didn.t learn how to respect or tolerate differences instead of being afraid of and against them.
Human nature wants clarity and certainty; too many unknowns, too much diversity, what to do with it if there are no algorithms for each?
Those algorithm are something that we are acquiring through primary and secondary socialization, mental tools that make our lives easier. For example, if you are a woman you should behave X, if you are a man you should behave Y, that is how it used to be. Now, when we have genders clearly separated form sex, it is much more complicated. So, who will tell us what to think and what to do?
Well, exact those same as before- society around us. The problem is when what we are learning during primary socialization becomes in opposition with what we are being told in kindergarten, school and other formal (and non formal) organizations that ought to have huge influence in personality development. That can lead to serious inner conflict and identity crisis but at the end, every individual settle for some attitudes and values, more or less in line whit requirements of immediate environment.
PC is one of those social skills or tools that, if we use it, should give thought to another person that we are trying to be respectful; it is a non formal social contract, guide line, how to deal with so much diversity.
It would be very good, though impossible, if we all could have genuine respect for each other. Since we don,t social norms are there to make apparition :)
When we.re talking about the partner instead of boy/girlfriend, wife/husband, using Ms instead of Miss or Mrs, saying Afro American instead of black, person with special needs instead of handicapped – that counts as PC.
The point is not to make any assumptions (have prejudices) that can lead to disrespect or discrimination. Good point. Not possible.
Anyway, let.s go back to two main factors that determine outcome of use of PC: society and individual(s).
Society, that is, particular social groups, through agents of socialization, advocates certain way of verbal expression; on everything you say can be put good or bad as a label. Saying Asian American is good, saying yellow is bad. Ok, got it. Now, why the heck, yellow is bad? Who decided it? Who is forcing the story that having certain color of the skin should be offensive?
Sorry smarties, but having DNA given pigmentation of skin, whether is "black" or "white" or "red" or "yellow" or fluorescent and glowing in the dark (this one is for CRISPRed DNA) is a fact and as such, is not good or bad, it just is. Why making an issue of that? O, wait, I know, because it is convenient to use it whenever needed for manipulations.
(And let.s not making an excuse with historical stories that includes color, instead of forcing them society could reframe story, assign different values and make things much better but it did not.)
Another example, at least in my country: you should say person with special needs instead of disability. This way, instead of paying them respect, society is actually discriminating them: they do not have “special needs” it is just the way of satisfying some of them is different. Their needs are the same as everyone.s: to survive, to be safe, loved, to love, to participate in society. The fact that society can.t provide some resources for those people does not mean that their needs are special. It only means that we are hypocrites who are declaratively encourage inclusion but factually discriminate.
If I am lesbian, it is ok for me to say (and make jokes about it); for you is not, you should say homosexual or member of LGBT and don.t you dare make a joke.
If the facts are allowed to be said only by members, we should make a norm that only mathematicians can say 2+2=4 :P
I won.t even start about how much humor and all kinds of art are losing with PC censorship. It used to be Dead poets society. Soon it will be PC incorrect humor societies ;)
So hard to accept that how you call one is not important as how you treat her/him. Surface versus essence.
This is the way society works: some PC expressions are really useful and some are just here to blur reality about prejudice, disrespect or discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or physical/mental disability.
TO BE CONTINUED